The Future Bride of Chase young
by ReadingFox
Summary: Okay, here it is! The story of how Marie was promised to Chase! Note:the story mainly centers around her previously unknown father Derek. Rated for death. Foreshadowing of things to come. Note: ONESHOT.


Marie

Derek and Tiffany Jones wandered through the dark forest, arguing in hushed voices.

"I knew this would happen!" Hissed Tiffany. "You always get us lost. How are we going to make it back to Beijing now?"

"Well excuse me for wanting to see the sights!" Derek hissed back at his wife. "Now be quiet before you wake Marie up." He looked at his year old daughter who was sleeping peacefully in the sling on her three year old brothers back. Tom carried his little sister without a complaint. His children were probably the only things in Derek's life that didn't set up some sort of racket.

"Daddy." Said Tom softly. "Are we going to get eaten by wolves like the little girl in the storybook back home?"

"Don't be stupid Tom!" Tiffany snarled at her son. "Just be quiet and look after your sister!"

"Yes mommy." Tiffany snorted angrily. What had she done to deserve such a lamebrain son? He was already three years old and he hadn't shown any talent what so ever! All he did was giggle and play the piano, and take care of the other brat. How was she going to end up living in the lap of luxury with a son like that?

"Hey!" cried Derek "I see the end! We'll be out in no time."

"Finally!" sighed Tiffany. As they walked to the edge of the forest Tiffany looked back at her daughter, who had begun to wake up.

"_Just like her brother._" she thought. "_Never shows any sign of promise. She'll probably mooch off of us the rest of her life. Why was I cursed to have such parasites for children? Why couldn't I have good, talented children? Useless, the both of them!_" Then, the trees parted, and they found themselves in a no mans land.

"I can't believe this!" Screamed Tiffany. "We're in the middle of nowhere!" Her screaming caused Marie to wake up fully. Startled at her mothers loud voice, she sent up a thin wail.

"Now look what you've done!" barked Derek "You woke the baby!" He quickly plucked Marie from her brothers arms and began rocking her gently. Muttering soothing nonsense words, he calmed his tiny daughter down.

"Who are you and what are you doing on my land?" said a voice from behind him. Derek turned to see a young man in his early twenties glaring at them. Derek quickly handed Marie back to Tom and stood in front of his family.

"We're sorry sir. We got lost and we didn't know this land belonged to anyone. If you could just direct us back to Beijing, we'll leave and no one will have to get upset." He said, remaining calm. The man narrowed his eyes.

"So you think you can trespass on my land and get away scot free do you? Think again." Derek crouched, ready to defend his family.

"Look man, we don't want any trouble. I've got a wife and two small kids here, and all we want is to go back to the hotel." he said. Tiffany grabbed his arm.

"For god's sake Derek! Just give him some money and let's go!" she screeched. The man made a sweeping motion with one arm and Tiffany's mouth was sealed. While she clawed at her lips, the man faced Derek again.

"I do not desire money, but I cannot let you leave my lands unscathed either." Derek looked puzzled for a moment, then nodded in understanding.

"Okay. You can have me. Torture me, kill me, do whatever you want. But I want your word that my wife and children stay alive and unhurt."

"NO!!"

Tiffany had broken through Chase's spell. She clutched her husbands arm fearfully.

"Please sir, take anything but my husband! We have a daughter!" she shrieked. "We'll give you our daughter!" Derek looked at her with horror.

"Tiffany, what are you saying?! You'd give up our daughter just like that? How could you?" he said.

"We can always have another! Don't risk your life when we could sacrifice one of the kids!" Tiffany replied, as though stating the obvious. She turned to Chase. "Let my husband go and we'll give you our daughter when she's old enough to get married. Look, I'll show her to you now!" She quickly snatched her daughter out of her confused sons hands and brought her to Chase. She deposited the infant into his arms. Chase looked into the babies eyes. Large, green and innocent, they were the eyes of one who's life had never been touched by misfortune. Chase could see that this girl would be a fine looking young woman when she grew up. He looked back at her mother. She may have been beautiful in her youth, but time had taken its toll on her. Her black hair was thin and stringy, and her hazel eyes shone with greed and anger. This woman had wanted far more than what she deserved in life, and was disappointed with what she had. Chase was sure that if he agreed, she would raise the girl to be obedient and quiet. Chase liked that plan.

"Fine." He said handing the child back. "Send her to me once she is seventeen and you may leave." Derek watched in horror as this agreement was made. Tiffany walked back to him with little Marie in her arms and a smug grin on her face.

"What have you done?" He asked her as she stood next to him. She smiled.

"I've secured our daughter with a life of luxury and snagged us a rich and powerful future son in law." She replied. "Now, lets get back to the hotel."

"You've doomed her! Don't you realize that when she's seventeen, he'll be in his thirties?! What on earth were you thinking?"

"Well, at least all of us will live now!"

"You call a life of servitude living? She'll be miserable and you know it!"

"But she'll be rich!"

"Wealth isn't everything Tiffany!" Just then, Tom tugged on his fathers pant leg.

"Daddy, the scary man is trying to tell us something." Derek turned back to face Chase.

"What now?" He barked, glaring in hatred at the man who had stolen his daughters future.

"Take hold of your wife and children. I'm going to transport you back to your hotel." Chase called to him. Derek, though still hating Chase, did as he was told and clutched his family to him. He felt the breath knocked out of him as he was thrown across the vast distance between Chase's bad lands, and the City of Beijing. They stopped in the alleyway just behind their hotel.

Later that night, Tiffany suggested that they go for a walk by the riverside, and leave the children to sleep. Derek agreed, realizing this would be the only chance he would get to talk her out of her idea of giving their daughter away. Once on the banks of the river, Tiffany turned to face him.

"Sweetie, I know you think I did the wrong thing today, so I'm letting you know now that you won't have to worry about it anymore." Derek sighed in relief.

"Why? Because you're breaking the deal?" Tiffany's face broke into a manic grin.

"No." she replied. "Because you won't be alive to worry about it." As quick as a flash, she pulled out a long knife and plunged it into Dereks' chest. He screamed in pain as she pushed the knife farther and hit his heart. He felt the muscle tear and the blood start to pool within his chest. His vision was growing blurry, and he fell backwards into the river. He looked into the eyes of his murderer. His vision finally faded and went dark as he slipped into the welcoming arms of death.

He woke up in a strange place, his wounds still open and bleeding but without pain. It was like the world he knew, but it was bathed in a golden light. There was another person standing next to him, wearing a white t-shirt and white slacks. He also had two large feathered whit wings sprouting from his back.

"Welcome arrival number 174539462440452196676. Or Derek, as you used to be called." the man said. "I am called Dave. I will be your guide to the afterlife." Derek sighed.

"So she really did kill me. I'm really dead." he muttered. He buried his head in his hands. "Now I can't protect her...my daughter...my baby girl. My precious princess." He began to sob brokenly. Dave leaned down and patted his shoulder.

"There there now." he said soothingly. "It's alright. You can still watch and protect her." Dereks head shot up. He grabbed the front of the angels shirt.

"Where? Tell me where I can see her!" he yelled. Dave calmly pried Dereks fingers away and led him to a small pond.

"Just dip your fingertip into the water and say your daughters name. It will show you where she is and what she's doing. By the way, what happened to give you such a grievous wound?" He said. Derek told him the story of his murder and Maries' predicament.

"Oh dear, that_ is_ horrible. I'll have to tell the boss about that. Miss Tiffany will be spending her afterlife with the lawyers and crooks." Derek looked up from the ponds surface.

"Dave." he asked. "What is this place? Is this heaven?" Dave nodded.

" Yes. You were brought here for trying so hard to help your daughter. Self sacrifice always gets you here. _I_ died by saving a baby from being run over by a train. And _I_ was a junkie! Saving life pretty much gets you off the hook for anything." Derek was staring into the pond again.

"Can I do anything to influence my daughters life from here? You know, show her the way and stuff?"

"Not directly. The boss says if we meddle too much, humans will rely on us to guide them."

"People already do that."

"Thus the need for rules. You can manipulate the elements like, causing the wind to push her in a certain direction, but you need to be careful about it."

"I can't talk to her?"

"Only in dreams, and she won't remember much. Just the important details. If you want her to feel your presence, dive into the pond and do whatever you need to. You get a one hour time limit, so use it wisely."

"Will she see me?"

"No." Derek was silent and stared more deeply into the pond. He would watch, he decided, he would wait and watch his daughter grow. And so he did.

For the next 16 years, he watched his wife remarry, train their daughter, beat her, and have another child. He watched as Marie grew from an infant to a pigtailed toddler to an outspoken child to an awkward preteen to the beautiful young woman she was now.

One day Dave came to him holding a piece of paper in his hand.

"Good news Derek!" he said. "The Boss has decided you can be reincarnated! You can be whoever you want! So, what do you want to be?" Derek thought hard. More than anything, he wanted to be able to watch his daughter, to protect her. Now who or what could do that? He turned to Dave.

"A Phoenix." he said. "I want to be a Phoenix." Dave gasped.

"But that means you'd never die! Do you really want that?" he asked. Derek nodded. "Well, okay. I'll tell the Boss. It may take a few years for it to happen, but we'll make sure you are reincarnated as a phoenix." he turned and trotted off to the main Offices to put in Dereks request. Derek turned his attention back to the pool.

"Wait for me Marie." he said. "I'll be with you again soon."


End file.
